If you enjoy this article, check out the next article in the series: “8 Awesome jQuery tutorials to make your one-page portfolio shine” There are countless approaches you can take when creating your own design portfolio. Every designer is unique and should, therefore, have a unique portfolio. But when it comes to designing a successful one-page portfolio, there are a few key ingredients you’ll want to be sure to include. After reading through a few of my suggestions, be sure

Recently, I asked all my friends* on twitter what sorts of articles they would like to read about here on GDB. One friend suggested a sort of checklist-style article about preparing for a redesign. Hence the following article. If you would like to suggest a topic for discussion and exploration here at GDB, head on over to our contact page, facebook fan page, or @mention me on twitter and we’ll try to help you out! (Also, to whomever requested this

The other day, I was visiting with a fellow designer who commented to me that they had recently completed a logo design project for which they collected very little money. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was more than $5 or some ridiculously small amount, but this designer felt like they should have been paid a lot more for all the work he put into designing this logo. I agreed with him. Surely this has happened to you or another

If you’re a designer, it’s very likely that at one point or another you were working on a project and felt like it wasn’t going anywhere. It’s almost like all the ideas get sucked out of your head with a giant vacuum and no matter how hard you try to think you just can’t come up with a clear direction to go. While creative blocks may cause tension headaches and severe irritation, I’d like to offer you a new perspective

For a long time now it’s been evident that soon technology will rule the world (if it doesn’t already). It seems as though every day surprising amounts of new electronic gadgets are introduced, and the good old pen and paper get forgotten in the attic to collect cobwebs and mold. This article will address why you should turn off your laptop, put away your tablet, and go back to the basics during your design process, as well as provide some

Doesn’t it feel great when you complete a major project for a client on time and without any huge hang-ups? Of course it does. But what do you do with clients who come back from the dead? Just so that I don’t get in trouble with the law or scare any clients away, a dead client is simply one with whom you do not currently have an open contract. This article will discuss the best practices for the occasion when

In the previous two chapters of Design Essentials, we covered topics that dealt with the quality of your design: Originality, and Attention to Detail. While today’s essential design tip will help your designs look better in the long-run, this chapter deals primarily with the design process and how to openly accept criticism of your designs. Good criticism vs. Bad criticism First, it’s important to understand that there is good criticism and bad criticism. Accepting criticism does not mean you have

Think of your favorite children’s song. Now grab a coworker and tap the tune of the song on their hand while you sing it silently to yourself. After you finish, ask them to name the song you just tapped out. According to “Made to Stick“, a book I recently read about why some ideas thrive and others fail, your friend will most likely not know which song you were tapping. Why? The curse of knowledge. The designer’s curse of knowledge

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